Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-12-22
PERSIAN MlNsTRELs.
tjnquestionabiy the Most Interesting Of
All odd oriental Characters.

Among the many odd and interesting
characters that came Under my observ-
alton during my bicycle tour around
the world, few were more amusing to
me than the Persian lutis. The lutis
are wandering minstrels, troubadours,
mountebanks or buffcons, whichever
name one cares to call them. Tho or
binary outfit Of luti is q big, hairy
monkey. pony or donkey, and a
drum. They travel about Persia, from
town to town, affording amusement to
the people by making their trained
monkeys perform sundry tricks, while
they Join in with songs and drum-beat-
ing.
Scarcely a day passed when was
riding through the Shah's dominions |
without encountering one Of these lu-
tis He would invariably be alone,
never in the company Of other people.
and behind him. perched coutentedly
on the rump Of the pony, would be his
grotesque comrade, the monkey. This
monkey would always be a large an-
thropoid Of the babOon species, pos
sessed Of long. silvery hair The hairy
covering is generally shorn from tho
lower part Of the body. but permitted
to retain its full growth about the head
and shoulders. The partial shearing
causes the long hair of the shoulders to
partly overlap the nakedness OF the
body and impart TO the monkey an ex-
tremely fantastic appearance. as
though he were wearing fur tippet.
From constantly travelling about and
associaiing with people Of various cit
les. the lutis are far more enlightened
than the average Persian who stands
and listens to his songs. The Perslans,
rs a nation. are the most poetic people
! in the world. and common accom-
} plishment with the lutis is the ability to
warbls,verso after worse Of impromptu
song--songs composed even as they
sing. This happy accomplishment en-
ables the lutis 70 always adapt their
; theme to the isDiper and preindices.
; likes and dislikes Of their audiences;
! and the luti is always cute enough to
? find this out and stroke his listeners
] the right way.
D II ever got into trouble with a city
G mob, as l sometimes did. could al
5 ways depend upon the Offices of lcti
: to help me out of IL. should one oi
c them happen te be present This was
o partly because they we're more enlight-
n ened and Tolerant OF the manners and
: mistakes of stranger in strange
G land than their untraveled countrymen,
d and partly because they felt pretty Ger
S tain of coin or two for their services
n In the bazar Of Lendjan. a. large city
c in Northern Persia, one day, the mri
: titude of people. wild with curiosity
= and excitement concerning the Feren
e CHI and his wonderful asp-i-aheI
Is (horse-of-iron). as the Persians calle'
10 the bicycle, became so great about m'
Ie that II was impossible for me 10 NOV
ID in any direction. Although the baza
lie was so densely packed with people
h struggling and pushing forward to OF
II tain peep at me and tn
e. bicycle, that one could not walk
10 let alone ride bicycle. the mo
IT was clamoring loudly for m
W 10 mount and let them see me ride
le Their ignorance of a cycles capabil
r ties and the natural dull wit Of hall
'r civilized people blinded them 70 th
,e folly of shouting for n man to rid
is without giving him so much room a
Se even to turn around. As a matter {
IS fact. they might with equal consisione
m have been shouting for a fish 70 swiI
re without providing him with water.
rs IN the midst of all the uproar ther
us came elbowing his way through
r. crowd Of woolly-hatted Persians one {
rh our friends, the lutis. bearing on hi
he shoulder his monkey companion. an
It's holding aloft with one hand his drum
er Reaching my side, the luti set h
er monkey on the ground and, by jerkin
he its chain and addressing it encouraging
1t ly, caused it to caper about and gi'
M utterance to loud angry grunts.
ise this manner he succeeded in relieyir
Iul the crush about me and the bicycle
IN short order. then told him to hea
all the way TO a respectable tcitai-kdl
OF (tca-house) where l could obtain T
Ter freshments. Using the monkey TO Gle
us passage through the people by @
or, cournging him TO grunt angrily an
spring about the luti piloted n
or through the bazar and into a tea-hons
III Arriving there he took up his stati,
ay at the door. and whenever the croy
Try about il became noisy and abusiy
its he would chase them away with 4
rs monkey.
ul- The tea-house was comparative
ain comfortable place. and concluded
n remain there for the night The pl
'rb prietor. being speculative and shreN
ior individual. conceived the idea of uti
'ti- ing me aud the bicycle, and the |,
md as an attraction to draw customers
sor his place Of business.
lay To this end ne placed a couple
IN guards at the door with sticks. wi
md orders 10 admit none but respectal
os- persons. who had money to spend
Die tea and kilians (water-pipes). The
per cycle was placed in the rear of
en- room, together with the luti and
My monkey. Customers who came We
permitted TO go and examine my whe
whilst the luti furthermore entertain
ore them by chanting songs. dancing a
ex- beating his drum. The monkey q
nd played his varied talents by standi
Is on his head, twirling round and rou
hen like dancing dervish. and otherw
mes disporting himself AS for myself
ned took up a position where the patr'
ble' could crafty their curiosity with pr
am to both the proprietor OF the house q
iher myself. by treating me to kalians q
ned tea. This "dime museum" state
how affairs could hardly be congenial,
the "a -. ,.o.s.rtbaloou tha haaf ,naai